garcia 45 sailboat data

Exploration 45 garcia

The exploration 45 garcia is a 46.62ft cutter designed by berret racoupeau yacht design and built in aluminum by garcia yachts since 2014..

The Exploration 45 garcia is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat. The fuel capacity is good. There is a good water supply range.

Exploration 45 garcia sailboat under sail

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Yachting Monthly
Digital edition

Garcia Exploration 45 – Yachting Monthly review

July 24, 2014

Finding a new boat to sail the Northwest Passage might not appeal to most people, but most people aren't Jimmy Cornell. Graham Snook went to test the boat Jimmy commissioned - the Garcia Exploration 45.

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

What’s she like to sail? I pity any wave that gets in the way of the Garcia Exploration 45’s rounded aluminium hull. She’s big and heavy, and not the most exciting boat to sail, and no matter how good the Jefa steering is, nothing is going to change that. On a rather windy test sail, however, the helm was responsive and lighter than her looks might suggest. She was very comfortable through a confused sea and sailing her was a relaxed affair. Even with no mainsheet track the sails can be left without being tended constantly; she’ll just heel a little then keep going. Like most centreboard yachts her windward performance suffers as a result of lack of weight low down in the water. But, because she is conceived and designed for serious voyaging, going to windward might mean a day on one tack, a day on the other. The deep skeg that houses and protects the propeller and shaft adds directional stability. The payback is her go-anywhere ability and her downwind performance. With the wind anywhere aft of the beam you can start lifting the centreboard. This improves her performance and makes the helm lighter. What’s she like in port and at anchor? Manoeuvring her in the confines of a marina isn’t something I envy. With a displacement of 14 tonnes (before cruising clobber and provisions are added) and no direct prop wash over the rudders, a bow thruster is an option I wouldn’t be without – not that marinas will be encountered often. Anchoring is far more becoming of her ladyship. To this end the anchor chain is taken from the bow, through a sealed pipe to the windlass just forward of the coachroof and the deck stepped mast. From here the 100m of chain fall to the hull floor in front of the centreboard into a watertight locker in the owners heads; keeping the weight low and central. Ventilation and heating are excellent throughout every cabin; the galley has an opening hatch above the stove. Both the saloon and galley enjoy panoramic views, so evenings would be social and could be spent on this central level before descending the few steps to the sleeping compartments. The saloon windows are double-glazed but the hull-lights and hatches are not. My evening spot on board would be the seat aft of the saloon – the backrest folds back and a leg-rest flips up, converting it into a chaise longue. Would she suit you and your crew? She’s designed to go to inhospitable cruising grounds, motor for 1,000 miles and come out the other side. If that appeals to you, start saving. While she might raise eyebrows (and fenders) in a marina, it’s not her usual habitat. She was designed by to be handled at sea by one person on watch and look after anyone else on board at the same time. She’s built for comfort, protection and to be a home, whether you are bound to bricks and mortar or not. Comparing the Exploration 45 to a marina-dwelling yacht is like comparing a camel to a fish. Both excel in their own environment but share little similarity. Like the northern African nomads who choose the camel, you’ll be of the same itchy-footed inclination. If you hanker after going where few people have been before, or want to explore watery wildernesses while they’re still considered isolated, there are few production boats, if any, that compare. Past YM editor Geoff Pack wrote a book called Ocean Cruising Countdown. If like me you gaze longingly at it on your bookshelf, this might be a boat for your list. She may not be stunning to look at, but in the middle of a vast, unspoilt Arctic landscape I think she’d look beautiful. FACTS AND FIGURES LOA 14.72m (48ft 4in) LWL Beam Draught Displ Ballast 4500kg (9921 lb) Sail area 91m2 (980 sq ft) Engine 75hp Diesel 700 litres (154 gal) Water 500 litres (110 gal) D/L ratio 208 SA/D ratio 15.9 Ballast ratio 32% RCD Category A STIX 37.5 Designer Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design Builder Garcia Yachting Tel + 33 2 31 69 03 92 Website www.garcia-yachting.com

The Garcia Exploration 45 is designed to got to inhospitable cruising grounds, motor for 1000 miles and come out the other side. If that appeals to you, start saving. She might not be stunning to look at, but I think in the middle of a vast unspoilt Arctic landscape, she'd look beautiful.

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Garcia Yachting Exploration 45

By Cruising World Staff
Updated: September 24, 2014

Designed with input from world-cruiser Jimmy Cornell, the Exploration 45 from Garcia Yachting features an insulated aluminum hull, and watertight bulkheads and hatches for off-the-milk-run cruising. A comfortable deck saloon offers panoramic views at anchor. garcia-yachting.com

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Garcia Exploration 45: Review and test

Every now and again, for sailing today’s monthly boat test, something completely different crops up. something that’s aimed with unerring accuracy at a specialist market and bears no relation to the average white blobs that crowd today’s boat shows, marinas and charter fleets. the exploration 45 is such a boat..

Garcia 45 Explorateur Garcia 45 Explorateur

This is an excerpt from a longer test by Peter Poland, which appears in Sailing Today issue 210. Buy a copy of the magazine here .

Garcia Yachting is a French company that has specialised for 40 years in building aluminium-hulled custom craft from 50ft to 115ft. Some 300 Garcia yachts cruise the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic. In 2010 Garcia joined the Grand Large group that also owns Outremer (builder of award-winning GRP cruising cats) and Allures Yachting (famous for its aluminium-hulled shoal-draught cruisers).

Garcia builds the hulls and Allures finishes them in its factory in Cherbourg. I tested an Allures 45 a while back and was impressed by the fairness and strength of its aluminium hull, the quality of its semi-custom finish and the versatility of its shoal-draught performance.

While volume producers stick to bread-and-butter fixed keel or stub keel and pivoting plate boats, specialist builders sell many internally-ballasted centreplate cruisers. After all, you can visit a lot of places in a 45-footer that draws just 1m with the plate up. And it’s widely accepted that an internally ballasted yacht with its plate raised will slide safely sideways in extreme conditions while a fixed-keeler is prone to tripping on its keel.

With its near-plumb stem, elegant sheer and unique coachroof line, this boat looks like no other. The roof is low and incorporates a reverse-raked panel round the front and a raised ‘wedge’ doghouse at the aft end, removing the need for a sprayhood.

For our test day, we were lucky with the weather. The sun shone and the wind blew between 15 and 19 knots. The optional bow-thruster and near-silent Volvo D-275 extracted us from a tight berth then we set sail under full Solent jib and single-reefed main. With more wind, we could have opted for the smaller staysail. That’s the joy of the optional cutter rig (c£5,400).

To windward, the 45 settled into an easy, restful gait. Speed varied between 6 and 7 knots at around 34° to the apparent wind. The helm felt positive without being heavy and with the solid aluminium NACA section centreplate fully lowered (drawing 2.9m), there was little leeway. The ballast of 4,540kg and the central weight of tanks, engine etc, gives a pleasant, solid feel. Sheets cracked onto a reach, we exceeded 9 knots on occasions. This boat will clearly cavort down the Trades at speed and in comfort.

Even after a short sail, it’s clear that the Exploration will revel in a seaway and gobble up the miles. Even if she is far from cheap, you get what you pay for: in this case a special boat that can take you anywhere.

The Exploration 45 has been designed to set sail on high latitude and tropical bluewater adventures. The extensive input supplied (from the word go) by one of today’s most experienced and respected long-distance cruising sailors – Jimmy Cornell – is priceless. And it’s evident throughout the boat.

Such details cost more, but Garcia believes the expense is justified. Put simply, there’s nothing quite like the Exploration 45 on the market. Yet those who just want a coastal cruiser with a swing keel that can nudge into shallow creeks as well as sail through heavy weather in comfort will also find much that appeals. Provided they can afford the bill!

The advantages of semi-custom finish, an options list as long as your arm and a tough aluminium hull with shoal draught capability are obvious. And a degree of exclusivity is assured because only 10 can be built each year, so few will be lucky enough to own this fine yacht, even if their budget permits.

Tech Specs: Price: From c£404,000 ex-works LOA: 46ft 7in (14.2m) LWL: 41ft 3in (12.6m) Beam: 14ft 7in (4.4m) Draught up/down: 3ft 9in/9ft 6in (1.1m/2.9) Displacement: 14.6 tonnes (32,214lb) Upwind sail area: 979sqft (91m²) Fuel: 700lt (154gal) Water: 500lt (110gal) Berths: 4/6/8 Engine: Volvo D2-55. stainless-steel shaft; 3-blade prop (feathering an option) Designer: Berret/Racoupeau Builder: Garcia Yachting

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Garcia Yachting is developing a new exploration yacht in close collaboration with Jimmy Cornell for his next round the world voyage, this time through the Northwest Passage EXPLORATION & BLUE WATER CRUISING A YACHT DESIGNED TO BE SAILED AND LIVED ABOARD BOTH IN HIGH LATITUDES AND TROPICAL WATERS «I wanted a strong, fast, comfortable, functional and easily handled boat perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing. I nally decided to develop a new boat which would be as close as can be to my ideal long distance cruising boat. I am very happy to share my enthusiasm with Garcia Yachting, one of the best aluminum boat builders in the world.» Jimmy Cornell GARCIA YACHTING BUILDING HANDMADE QUALITY PASSAGEMAKERS SINCE 1974 www.garcia-yachting.com [email protected] Membre du groupe Grand Large Yachting Tout le grand voyage www.glyachting.com www.grandlargecafe.com

GARCIA EXPLORATION 45 Key specifications > I ntegral aluminium centreboard Deck salon with 270° visibility and inside steering position Watertight companionway door Watertight forward aluminium bulkhead > Watertight aft aluminium bulkhead with watertight hatches to access the stern compartments from the aft cabins > All through-hull fittings made of welded aluminium - All valves positioned above sea level > Double glazed salon windows, one opening above the galley - Coachroof extends beyond the windows and acts as an awning to prevent the greenhouse effect due to the sun > Thermal and...

> locker centrally positioned at the foot of the mast – Electric windlass Chain located in locker below deck just ahead of the mast > Centrally located large capacity tanks - Water and fuel tanks can be ballasted port / starboard > Centrally located service battery set > Generous stowage space available throughout the boat > Forefoot chainplate for towing and ice breaking > Integrated aft arch for electronics, wind generator, solar panels and use as davits > 2 rudder configuration JEFA self-aligning bearings to ensure optimal control in heavy seas > aft platform with easy access to / from...

GARCIA EXPLORATION 45 Basic specifications Overall length Hull length Waterline length Draught (centreboard down) Fixed ballast Diesel capacity Water capacity Black water capacity Number of cabins Version 3C2T Jimmy Cornell BUILDING HAND-MADE QUALITY PASSAGEMAKERS SINCE 1974 www.garcia-yachting.com

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Garcia Exploration 45

Garcia Exploration 45 is a 46 ′ 7 ″ / 14.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau and built by Garcia Yachts starting in 2014.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
LOA: Length overall in feet
Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Overall length: 48.82’ / 14.88m

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The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1, Introduction and Rig

While at the boat show in Annapolis, Maryland, I was able to spend an hour or so on Pete and Tracy Goss’s Garcia Expedition 45. Obviously I can’t write a full review based on such a short time on the boat, but there are a bunch of things that jumped out at me. And since then I have done a lot of internet research on the boat to fill in the gaps to at least some extent.

To make this as relevant as possible I have compared the Garcia to the Boréal 44/47—the only difference between the two Boréals is the addition of a sugar scoop stern on the 47—since that boat is the obvious competitor and, more importantly, the Boréals have a 10-year track record of successful cruises to some of the most remote and stormy places on earth (list below), the target purpose for both boats.

Ten have rounded Cape Horn.
Five have visited South Georgia and Antartica.
Five have visited Greenland.
One has transited the North West Passage.

Relevant For All

Even if you are not interested in buying either boat, this series of four articles will give you some good ideas of what to look for in a boat to go to out-of-the-way hazardous places, particularly the high latitudes—or even just offshore—in comfort and safety.

Or, to put it another way, this is also a series of articles on how John evaluates offshore boats.

Before I get going and in the interests of transparency I need to make some things clear:

Phyllis and I spent three days evaluating the Boréal 44/47, including sailing on her, so I’m a lot more familiar with them than the Garcia.
We really liked the Boréal 47, and came very close to buying one. And from time to time we still think about it.
While we have not spent a lot of time with them, Phyllis and I look on the partners at Boréal as personal friends.
Colin Speedie, European Correspondent here at AAC, and a close friend, has acted as owner’s representative on the build of many Boréals.

Relevant Experience

I have spent much of the last 25 years cruising remote places, exactly what these two boats are designed for, so my observations are much more well informed than those of the average observer.

Getting The Most From This

My suggestion is that, in order to get the best out of these articles, you focus on the facts that I bring to light as a starting point for further investigation of each boat’s suitability for your own needs, rather than reading this article looking for a recommendation for or against either boat.

To that end, throughout the articles, I have included note boxes like this one, with suggestions for things a buyer should investigate and carefully compare between the two boats prior to making a decision.

One final note. Whenever I have called out a feature as desirable or undesirable I have included a link to an article that explains why in the Further Reading section at the end—less disruptive than adding links throughout the text.

Let’s start from the top:

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More Articles From Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 44/47:

The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 2, Deck and Cockpit
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 3, Hull and Build
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 4, Inside Watch Stations
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 5, Interior, Summary and Price

I expanded your photograph as I was interested by what was going on at the bowsprit; lovely high resolution, by the way. Anchor stowage looks clumsy. And what’s that line doing descending vertically into the water ? It’s always interesting to see what owners have to do to get round what the designers haven’t got quite right.

From what one can see from your main photo they have set out to build the anti-Boréal. I’m very much looking forward to seeing if they have redeemed themselves withe the cockpit and the interior.

I don’t mean to sound like I’m carping. She looks like a great boat and I’d bite off anyone’s arm to have her.

More on the bow sprit, and that line, coming in the next article.

I cannot afford either boat, but …. What is it with swept spreaders? I consider that a disqualifying attribute of any sailboat used for cruising. Why has it become popular? I can see NO advantages. There must be something I don’t understand.

Possibly “fashion”. Swept back spreaders are often used to spare the back stay(s), at least this is what I notice on a lot of European built charter vessels and most modern cats. AFAIK they come from racing rigs, so the builders might give the impression of a really fast boat – which it might not be, as John points out, at least in a cruising setup.

Hi Terence,

I know what you mean. The first time I started seeing a lot of these on cruising boat my reaction was WTF! See Dick’s comment for the real reason.

Hi Terence, My take has always been, for cruising sailboats, that the primary reason for swept back spreaders, is that it saves a good deal of $$$ in the manufacture: consolidation of chainplates often more easily situated on the hull side. Both of which make for easier engineering and fabrication. Then the really creative part is to sell it to the public and obfuscate the whole issue to hide the fact they are just saving money. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Hi Dick, Hi Terence, To be totally fair to our competition, there is more to say about the subject. Yes having swept back spreaders means two shrouds with corresponding structure less (on an aluminium boat like we build them it is not just a chain plate, it is a complete reinfroced frame with a T-structure). So yes, it has an impact on manufacturing. BUT there can also be other reasons : – Having less strucure inside, means you have more room inside and even more important more latitude to arrange your interior with less constraints… The total volum inside a hull is relatively small, the more structure, the more imbrications you have to live with. The impact on designing the interior is very important… The smaller the boat, the bigger the impact… – On a Boréal we have a self tacking staysail. If we would want to have more powerfull, not self-tacking staysail, the size of it would be limited by the spreaders. Having swept back spreaders means you can have a bigger (not self-tacking staysail)… (That is why a few number of Boréal 55 have mast with slightly pushing spreaders and a bigger staysail…)

Some other architects or boatbuilders might have other views or complementary insides, also linked to the way they build/design other boats.

Jean-François EEMAN, Managing Director Boréal

Hi Jean-Francois, Thanks for weighing in on this question. I am usually clear that I have “my story” but I am always clear it is likely not the whole story. Your fleshing out other considerations is appreciated. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

That’s my theory too.

There is a very long section about swept spreaders in the Dashews’ Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Can be downloaded for free now.

Did either builder consider a carbon mast? Does either offer it as an option? If not did they give reasons? Your arguments seem compelling and the incremental cost on a new boat may not be excessive. After reading your book I’m wondering why anyone builds new boats with alloy rigs.

Hi Mr. Squire, Yes we did consider but ni we do not offer it as an option. A few years ago Dominique Wavre who raced ten times around the world (4 Whitebread/Volvo Ocean Race, 4 Vendée Globe and 2 Barcelona World Race with his wife) gave us the chance to build his Boréal 55. His wife Michèle who is a professionla rigger and him considered a carbon mast. Together we investigated the subject and made a thourough analysis (with the mast builder and the sailmaker). At the end we decided togehter that the positive impacts was not worth the extra budget (and complications). Moreover the impact of a change to carbon mast on the stab curve was very limited… One could also reverse the question: for an offshore cruising boat why would you go to a carbon mast if the alloy mast does the/a satisfy job job ?

We have a carbon mast on our Garcia Passoa 47 (an older design comparable to the Boreal and the Expedition) It allowed us to have 3.5 metres higher mast than standard with same overturning moment as alloy Result is that we sail MUCH better in light airs. We have comparison against a Boreal 47 and another Passoa 47 Of course we reef often. Our first reef is same as a standard Passoa main. I am surprised Boreal does not offer carbon. Whether it is worth the cost is for the buyer to decide

I’m a carbon mast owner, and lover, but I think in the case of the Boreal I agree with Jean-François, just not worth the added money. In our case, because we were building a custom replacement mast the difference in cost was far smaller than it would be on a Boreal which used a production aluminium mast. Also the cost difference gets less as boats get bigger.

I guess the other thing to think about is that the Boreal is a low cost boat for what she is. I know that sounds crazy when we think more than half a million bucks, but it’s true. If they started adding a lot of features like carbon masts it could change the whole market position of the boat, which I think would cost them sales, maybe a lot of sales. It would also increase their costs, over and above the cost of the mast because changing to carbon requires re-engineering the entire rig and anchor points to take the added loads due to in increased stability.

You can read all about our reasoning for buying one here: https://www.morganscloud.com/2009/01/01/benefits-of-carbon-fibre-for-masts/

We have sailed our Garcia Passoa 47 (predecessor to the Expedition )about 50,000 miles. We installed a carbon mast which is 3 metres taller than standard but mast and rig present about equal overturning moments. The big rig is GREAT in light winds, as evidenced by performance when sailing with other boats. If I bought either of these boats, I would want the taller carbon masts BTW the only time we have sailed with a Boreal 47 we had a reef in and sailed nearly a knot faster, pointing slightly higher. I was surprised but have no explanation. Perhaps he was badly trimmed. We saw him only on AIS due to the Hebridean mist

I would not be surprised if that speed differential was real. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think your Garcia is quite a bit bigger boat than the Boreal. (Keep in mind that the Boreal 47 is a 44 with a sugar scoop, not a 47 foot boat.)

Anyway, I’m a huge fan of the Passoa and frankly think that Garcia would have been better off sticking with that hull form, or something close to it, for the Expedition 45.

Hi John, The Passoa 47 is really a Nouanni 44 witch a stretched stern to 47. The designer, Philippe Harle told me that he added the length because the Nouanni dragged a stern wave when going fast. On that thought, I do not know why anyone would buy a Boreal 44 when the Boreal 47 costs so little more

There is an advantage to the 44, other than cost and that is that the lazaret is bigger. Only just found that out myself.

I have a long running interest in both these boats, initially I was in the boreal camp, but slowly getting won over by the garcia. Regarding the swept back spreaders; i met Jimmy Cornell and asked him about why , he said he had to compromise with some design features on the boat and the spreaders was one, to allow a target price slot. I do believe there is a garcia 45 out there with in line spreaders, which sounds ideal. The talk with Jimmy was very informative , he really put a lot of great ideas into the boat.

Steve Dashew’s take on swept back spreaders is that, if there is no permanent backstay, a highly efficient maximum roachy main can be flown for all points of sailing. Dead running is difficult – he prefers gybing downwind and hopefully making a better VMG. He also does not like the idea of dead running with a conventional rig because of the rolling, which can be unsettling and dangerous, particularly in waves. If dead running is required, douse the mainsail and run with dual headsails on furlers and poles. Reefing is easy with the furlers. (A running backstay could also be set.) Rolling is also possible with dual headsails but less risky and more manageable.

Any contrary thoughts anybody?

I have talked to Steve about this and he qualifies that, as I did above, by saying that it only works well for boats like his that can achieve very high speeds off the wind, and therefore pull the apparent wind forward far enough that the main never needs to be let out much. His boats are 70-80 feet long and very slippery, and very light for their size, so completely different to most cruising boats. By the way, he was specifically asked this question on his site when I posted the article linked in Further Reading and at that time he stated that he agreed with me for the type of boat I was writing about.

As to rolling, I have sailed thousands of mile down wind and have never found it a big problem. That does not mean that we sail dead down wind, but rather say about 165 degrees true wind which is very comfortable, but still requires the spreaders to be straight in order to ease the main properly and rig a preventer safely. In fact on the kinds of boats we are dealing with here, the main will be over trimmed with swept backed spreaders until they sharpen up to bring the true wind to about 120 degrees, at best. That means in typical cruising they will be over-trimmed more than half the time.

As to taking the main down, I’m not a fan: https://www.morganscloud.com/2014/11/17/your-mainsail-is-your-friend/

And even if one is a fan of that option, that will not work in coastal cruising where frequent course changes are required.

Hi Henry and all, For years, I read the sailing slicks and tried to make my cruising boats make faster VMG gybing downwind over going dead-down-wind. I failed miserably and made myself a bit crazy trying to keep the jib full at deep angles. I now have many miles of open-ocean DDW sailing, mostly wing and wing with a poled-out jib, and have never found rolling a problem. I have a couple of thoughts: one is that rolling can be diminished by loading one side or the other just a bit and perhaps joining this adjustment with a very slight adjustment of a couple of degrees off a DDW course. The second is my observation that most cruising boats going DDW in this configuration are over canvassed. It takes surprisingly little sail area to get a decent cruising sailboat close enough to hull speed going DDW. Being over-canvassed is easy to fall into as there is little overt indication, but, when over-canvassed, the boat is more susceptible to small variations in wind speed which torque the boat around and exacerbate the roll: especially if there is some sort of “harmonic” occurring. I am also not a fan of being without a main in open water passage making. That said, I like nothing better coastal cruising than just rolling out the jib (popping out the asym) for an easy downwind day hop from anchorage to anchorage. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

That’s pretty much our experience too. Although I do have to admit to being a bit of a “driver” when running off, although I do always take my foot off the pedal at nightfall.

Hi Dick A glance at Randal Reeves DDW rig http://figure8voyage.com/blog/ puts him in your camp! Lots of 160 mile days with a full keel boat that is probably a bit slower than your Valiant.

Would you say that running dead down wind requires more helm attention and can be stressful?

Is this a factor on short handed boats?

I can remember in a Sydney Hobart hard running down by the east coast of Tasmania. Of course we had everything up, #1 spinnaker, blooper (remember those). The main boom was held with a preventer. An experienced hand was at the helm. The wind was square on but gusting and swinging around in the gusts. The waves nudging us about a little. A nudge the wrong way with a gust angling downwind a bit more and we were over on our ear. (I was the one that scrambled across the deck to break the preventer.)

I guess you have to choose the conditions you run carefully.

Sure I remember bloopers. And that tells me you were on an IOR type race boat. Those things were notorious for wipe outs like the one you describe. Completely different case than a well set up cruising boat running downwind with a reasonable amount of sail and everything guyed down properly.

Not really. In fact I would say this in one of the least stressful points of sail. Much less so than trying to sail hot angles to tack downwind, while also trying to get deep enough to actually get somewhere, without blanketing the jib.

Also, much less stressfully than trying deal with a big gust when reaching and not being able to easily either bear off properly, or dump the main, due to swept back spreaders.

What do you think of running with twin headsails?

I imagine you have written this up somewhere?

Some people love the idea and are big fans, particularly of the so called Twizzle rig. I can see the benefits since it moves the centre of effort forward and gets rid of any chafe on the main. So I think if I had a swept back spreader boat I would certainly look into it.

However, on a straight spreader boat like mine, I have never felt the need, even on a 3000 mile trade wind passage across the Atlantic. To do twin headsails right is a lot of added expense and takes an age to rig. The other thing is that I really don’t like being without the mainsail. More here: https://www.morganscloud.com/2014/11/17/your-mainsail-is-your-friend/

“…that tells me you were on an IOR type race boat…”

Not quite – it was a late 1960s early 1970s S&S style of design – not the extreme IOR hulls that began to emerge in the mid 1970s. (It was the 1979 SH, however.) Our yacht was a great sea boat.

The broach/unintentional gybe was more to do with the situation. Early morning, flukey conditions, helmsman grooving in to a surfing rhythm and then quickly unsettled by a sudden coincidence of wave and wind conditions. Luckily the preventer was released as quickly as it was otherwise rig and hull might have parted company.

Those were loverly boats. I did a passage on Rainbow II back in the day, what a boat. As to bloopers, I don’t think any of us miss them. Although as a sailmaker at the time, I loved the added revenue!

BTW John, it was Steve who raised the issue of rolling, in answer to a question from me on his blog, about downwind gybing.

My wife and I found little rolling down wind with our Boreal. Nothing like the previous boat a Mason 44. Three keys to the Boreal not rolling, one; don’t over canvas, the proper amount of sail in our opinion is a key. Maybe a little slower than powering up but we went in a more strait line and usually equaled the distance sailed in 24 hours than if we over canvased. Two; Adjustment to your centerboard, down wind most all Boreal owners bring the centerboard all the way up. We learned that by making slight adjustments, ( board a little way down maybe a foot) was just another way of steadying boat from rolling. Three; going down wind with the Boreal Drop both dagger boards. We usually did that from 155 apparent all the way to 180. This in our opinion helps prevent the stern wobble so common on traditional boats in moderate following seas. Stern wobble creates a rolling motion starting at the stern and moves forward throughout the boat. On the Mason 44 I often sat by the stern and watched it wobble and slide sideways every time a wave went under us. Often wondered how many miles we lost over 24 hours. I figured maybe about 6 miles. On the Boreal that problem does not exist if you sail her right. Cheers Steve and Tracy.

Thanks for the fill on that. Colin has shared the same with me about his Ovni 435, sans lee boards, of course.

We have a traditional rig with normal backstay sland a big roach main. I got the idea from an article by Steve Dashew. Our roach is about 18” past the backstay Works fine, even when tacking. Our first mainsail lasted 35,000 miles and 12 years, with no visible damage from hitting the backstay when tacking We usually run near DDW with a main and poled out jib. We roll less than with two headsails alone. We sailed Cape Verdes to Barbados, mostly in 15-25 knots, but cooked normally, could leave coffee or a beer on the table etc This is boat specific. Milvina is a Passoa 47, centreboard with no deep ballast

I agree, there’s a lot to like about big roach mainsails, and I totally agree on running with main and poled out jib being surprisingly stable and probably more so than twin jibs.

We’ve recently sailed form the UK to New Zealand in our Boreal 47, Tintin. That’s lots of miles, almost all of it downwind. A couple of observations: – Tacking the sail between the 2 forestays is not an issue. We competed in the Tahiti Pearl regatta this year, and the final race was a circuit of the island of Taha’a inside the reef. Short-tacking amongst other boats between the reef and the island concentrated the mind but was great fun – I would guess that we were 2-4 seconds slower getting the genoa pulled in on the new side compared to a boat without an inner a forestay. – The staysail is pretty small. It’s only really useful when reaching or beating in F6 or greater. We’ve used it half a dozen times in 20,000Nm. With hindsight, I would have the staysail as hanked-on, so that most of the time it’s out of the sun, and also it means that we could used a storm-jib more easily. – The bulk of our miles were done using a ‘Blue-water runner’ sail. This is a double, generously-cut genoa on a loose-footed furler tacked to the bowsprit. Poled out on one side and flying loose on the other with the mainsail down we could leave it for days. We could furl it from the cockpit and reef it in squalls. It was great when the apparent wind was aft of about 110 degrees – anything less and we had to do ‘real’ sailing!

Thanks for the real world report, always the best.

On the staysail stay slowing tacking, I based that on my own experience with Morgan’s Cloud where we have found that tacking is undeniably slower, and our stay is further back and our Jib Topsail has a smaller LP. That said, I agree that this is a perfectly acceptable compromise. I think really it depends on ones expectations and background. For example Charles Doane has just changed his Boreal 47 to have an easily removable staysail stay for just this reason. But then he sails a lot inshore around the islands in Maine.

On the topic of runners, you mention: “Both boats are fitted with them, as is proper on any boat that goes offshore, including sloops.”

Why would one feel the need for runners on a mast-head or double mast-head (i.e., Solent – like ours) rigged sloop? I suppose extra support is never a bad thing?

Hi Jeffrey,

Because a sloop or Solent rigged boat that goes offshore should, in my opinion, have a removable storm jib stay, and runners are required to brace that. Also, when things get gnarly with the wind forward of the beam a mast that is not so braced will inevitably pump back and forth as the boat hits a wave. Restricting this substantially reduces the chances of a gravity storm.

I know that you are comparing aluminium boats, but the Garcia has a deck/ saloon made of grp composite and has twin rudders to dry out on which are easily fouled and potentially damaged. You mentioned the Outbound 46 the other day which is a composite vessel with substantial layup with watertight bulkheads, cutter rig and an external hard dodger, so no possibility of water ingress if the glazing is damaged – unlike the Boreal or Garcia – Perhaps you might care to make the comparison between the 3.

I will be covering that in a later chapter. Let’s wait until then to discuss it.

That said, if you are buying a Boreal you do have to make the leap of faith that the dog house windows will not stove in, no denying it. However, given the track record, see the start of the post, I would be willing to make that assumption, particularly since a curved window like on the Boreal is immensely strong.

I believe that Christopher did quite a bit of due diligence on this: https://www.morganscloud.com/2015/07/02/boreal-47-an-owners-experience/

In a 47-foot boat (really a 44 plus a 3-foot scoop), it is hard to envision how one might get a small pilothouse space that is watertight from the main salon—you have to believe in the strength of the curved double pane glass, or this is not the boat for you.

Now after 40,000 nm without issue and through some tough weather moments, still no doubts or hesitation about the integrity and durability of the double-paned curved glass in the doghouse.

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for coming up and confirming that. Out of curiosity, did you and Molly every give any thought to what you would do if the glass on one side did stove in, or did you just decide it was not a big enough risk to plan for?

I think the reality would be a rather complex jerry-rig. We do carry a variety of marine ply bits, stiff closed-cell foam, and a variety of tarps/canvas that would maybe suffice for cracked and leaking. If truly gone/shattered, one would be in survival mode for sure. If we were faced with leaving the vessel at anchor for a major event (hurricane) I certainly would be thinking about padding and protection from flying debris.

My understanding (one would have to confirm recent history w Boreal directly) is that they had one cracked/fogged curved pane replaced under warranty many years ago on one boat. I am not an engineer, but suspect the forces involved to break the double-paned curved glass (esp once installed without incident, cracking etc) would also stove in the hatches and portals on any boat – a storm I hope to never experience… all to say, a legitimate consideration but given that the doghouse allows watchstanding with great visibility forward the net risks make sense to me (e.g. more likely to suffer a catastrophic loss from a navigation error or collision than sinking due to water ingress due to broken doghouse glass) – every boat is full of compromises etc and as I said in my review, if one can’t wrap your head around this then not the boat for you.

Hi Christoper,

Thanks for the fill on that. All makes sense to me.

When I designed my Sunchaser 58 catamaran I wanted a “glass house” ultramodern feel in the main salon for sales reasons. In order to accomplish that I designed every window panel with a heat formed compound curvature. The window subcontractor’s main business was building canopies for 250 mph airplanes where the design criteria was an unplanned meeting with a Canada goose. (I actually came within a twitch of the control stick of testing one of his canopies against a thermaling hawk!) Prior to that project I was PM on a megayacht where the pilothouse design spec called for resisting wave impact during a 175 knot hurricane. The owner, being a “trust but verify” type, commissioned me to design a test fixture and procedure to verify the designer’s calculations. So I can state with confidence that it is possible to design pilothouse windows and attachment methods that I am comfortable with!

Hi Richard,

Thanks for coming up on that. Makes sense that it should be doable, particularly taking the curve into account.

A commenter asked, in Part 4 of this series, what thickness the glass is in the window spec for the doghouse and salon of the Garcia/Boreal. I’m also curious if anybody knows as we recently went through the exercise of replacing our salon windows and had a hard time getting any information. I went to see the Garcia at a boat show as they were advertising it had double-glazed windows. That’s something I was trying to get in our boat to reduce condensation problems in cold climates. The Garcia windows were double-glazed, but, looked rather flimsy to me, just two ‘thin’ panes with an air space in-between. We ended up going with a solid window, an 8mm tempered (tinted) exterior glass pane laminated to a 5mm tempered (clear) interior glass pane, 14mm thick in total which will hopefully be adequate.

Thanks very much for the fill on that. I have to say that I agree with you that the look of the Garcia windows did not inspire confidence in me. That said, it’s very hard to gauge the strength of these things just by looking so I just flagged it for further investigation by anyone buying a boat. In fact I would go step further and say that if I were considering either boat this would be an area where I would put a lot of my investigation efforts.

As to your windows, that sounds pretty robust, but I think the key variable here is window size. For example the ports in my boat are 1/2″ glass which I think is overbuilt since they are very small, but the same thickness on a window of say half a meter (guess) of area would worry me.

For this reason, shortly after I bought MC I had cross bars added to the quite large custom deck hatches so that the plastic (5/8″ if memory serves) was better supported.

Anyway, I think window strength is an area that does not get the attention is deserves these days, although it sounds like you are the exception.

Hello all! Great conversation going on here. I own a Boreal 47 and have also sailed some distance on the first Garcia 45 with Jimmy Cornell, so thought I’d share some thoughts.

1. I agree with John wholeheartedly about flat spreaders versus sweptback spreaders and to my mind this one of the big advantages of the Boreal over the Garcia. Most importantly for me, it is much harder to reef the main sailing off the wind–something I think you must be able to do–with sweptback spreaders.

2. I have had a few conversations with sailmakers about whether it might be possible to run the Boreal as a true cutter with a high-cut yankee jib instead of the standard genoa. Some said yes, some shrugged and said they didn’t know. Only way to find out, I fear, would be to spend the money to build the jib and hope for the best. I imagine if it worked on the Boreal it would also work on the Garcia.

3. Tacking the genoa around the staysail: I have found it very cumbersome in anything less than 20 knots of breeze, especially when sailing alone. After toying with the idea of building a yankee jib, that would tack around the staysail more easily and hopefully fly with it too (see above), I instead had a new staysail built that furls on its own torque-rope luff with a continuous-line furler. This can be easily rolled up and taken down, or just brought to the mast, when you need to tack the genoa a lot. It does mean you can’t roller-reef the staysail, but the sail is so small I don’t see wanting to do that very often, if at all. You could set up a similar rig on the Garcia, of course.

4. One thing we did on Jimmy’s boat was fly a Code Zero type sail tacked to the sprit with the staysail, which worked great and would also work on the Boreal, of course.

5. The staysail on the Boreal is not truly self-tacking. You need to ease the sheet for the sail to slide down the track to leeward during the tack, then retension after the tack. Or go forward and kick the car across. At least on my boat, but it’s not a huge bother. Interestingly, the new torque-rope staysail tacks a bit more easily. Not sure why.

6. There is a tremendous amount of friction in the mainsheet run aft on the Garcia. I found it very bothersome and given the line run (all under-deck, with three turns) could see no easy way to substantially reduce it. I also found more friction than I liked in the Boreal’s mainsheet run, but it was very easy to fix this. I just took out some blocks and reduced the parts in the run. It works very well now.

7. It is possible, if you like, to run some lines aft from the mast to the cockpit on the Boreal. Like John, I prefer to keep things at the mast.

8. Both the Boreal and the Garcia do have short rigs, which is standard on these French centerboard boats. The lower rig compensates for the ballast being higher up in the bilges. I have one friend who sails an older Garcia who did put a substantially taller carbon rig on his boat (a Passoa). To make it work stability-wise he has to use hank-on headsails instead of carrying the extra weight of furling rods. He swears by this, and revels in the extra sail area, but it’s not something I’d want to do myself. I like roller furling!

9. I’ve gone back and forth on the two-part halyard on the Boreal. I started with the two-part, switched to one part, then switched back to two-part with a better halyard block. There is a bit of friction on the Boreal’s mainsail hoist. It’s not a particularly easy sail to get up, or to reef. If you have solid track cars (like me), instead of ball-bearing cars (a complication I do not relish), you need to keep the track on the mast well lubricated. I’m considering other ways to reduce the friction, including eventually trying a mainsail with just two top full battens. Raising and reefing the main on the Garcia is not really easier, however, due to the added friction in bringing the halyard and reef lines aft.

10. As to rolling generally, both the Garcia and the Boreal have a very smooth motion. This has been true of all the centerboard boats like these that I have sailed on. My theory is it is because you are much closer to the ballast. The ballast is the fulcrum of the lever. The closer you are to it, the less motion you experience.

Hi Charlie, If you do allow me : on your point 5 and tacking with the self-tacking staysail. If you put a lot of tension on the sheet there is indeed not enough play between the different blocks and the cars do not go easily from one side to the other… So either you release about 10-15 cm before tacking and haul it in again after the tack, either if you have to tack a lot you sail with the sail a little bit eased (and yes, you point slightly less high)… This Saturday an AAC reader and I tacked our way out of the river of Tréguier on Milonga, our personal Boréal 47, with the staysail. We did like 30 tacks and not once, one of us had to go to the bow to help the car (and not once I eased the sheet). I hope this helps…

Hi Jean-François,

Question for you: Can you leave both the running backstays set up when short tacking like that, or do you have to slack the leeward one and tighten the windward on each tack?

You can leave both running backs on when the main is double-reefed. Frankly, I don’t normally think of setting up running backs unless the wind is blowing hard enough to warrant that. In light to moderate breezes I think it’s OK to fly the staysail without the running backs.

Hi Charles,

Good to know, thanks. I will update the article to reflect that.

Hi John, Once again Charlie’s answer is spot on… Maybe for some of the readers it is important to insist on the fact that unlike on some racing boats you will NOT get the mast on your head if you don’t use the running backstays. As you pointed out correctly the running backstays are to avoid the mast pumping. In heavy winds and heavy seas although the mast is (slightly) prebend on a Boréal, only the running backstays will create a triangular structure you need to hold the mast in position at the height of the fixation point of the staysail and put tension on the stay of the staysail… (I hope my explanation is clear. Please tell me if it is not)

Hi JF! I seem to recall test-sailing a Boreal with you, short-tacking up the river to town under full main and staysail, and you having to go forward each time to kick the staysail over. But that was in very light wind! My current theory now on why tacking is easier with the new staysail is that I replaced the staysail sheet with a line of smaller diameter. This seems to have reduced friction significantly.

Hi Charlie, You are absolutely correct. In light airs sometimes easing the sheet is not enough… I should have mentionned in my comment that last weekend we had at least 20kn (mosty between 25 and 30 kn) of apparent wind… Good idea of having a smaller diameter for the sheet. To be honnest: we have never tried

Thanks very much for taking the time to share what is probably unique experience. I’m pretty sure that no one else combines as much offshore experience with having sailed both of these boats offshore. I’m a follower of your blog, one of only two sailing blogs I read regularly, and have been following your posts about your Boreal with great interest.

Very good point about not being able to reef downwind with swept back spreaders. I should have put that in.

I’m also going to be really interested in how your new staysail setup works out.

True cutter: I too wondered about this. I have sailed Morgan’s Cloud as a true cutter for nearly 30 years, including two Bermuda race class wins to prove it can be fast, and love the rig.

One benefit is that when tacking, the jib top goes through very easily not only because it has a smaller LP and is high cut, but because we leave the staysail aback as we tack so the jib top slides across it in a much easier and faster way than it does with the staysail rolled up.

I think the biggest challenge in converting a Boreal would be sheet lead positions, both fore and aft and athwartship, which are, I have found, the key to good cutter performance and very sensitive. For example, when I bought MC her previous owner told me the cutter rig did not work and was slow. The answer turned out to be messing with a lash up barber hauler rig until I got the staysail lead right to yield the right slot between the two headsails and then installing a Harken track with tackles in just the right place and angle to replace the old pin track which was awkward and in the wrong place. So, lots of hole drilling which would be tough to do to your new Boreal. In fact when I was considering a Boreal, I decided that the risks of trying to convert her were just not worth it. Just too many variables, particularly since JFD was not a fan of the idea when I talked to him about it.

More on my experience with the cutter rig including some thoughts on converting here: https://www.morganscloud.com/2015/09/17/12-reasons-the-cutter-is-a-great-offshore-voyaging-rig/

Two part halyards: I do think this is fixable on the Boreal since we use a single part on Morgan’s Cloud and our main is close to twice the size and I’m a scrawny old guy. The keys are a dedicated winch, exit point three feet above my head, and no clutch. Maybe too many changes to make it worth while on an existing Boreal. Anyway: more on why ours works including a video here: https://www.morganscloud.com/2016/07/12/hoisting-the-mainsail-made-easy-simplicity-in-action/

Looking forward to your thoughts on the upcoming articles on the two boats.

Love this article so much. I’ve given up reading yachting magazines after joining AAC.

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated.

Hi John! I appreciate being able to participate here.

Responding to your points about true cutters: it is a great rig! My previous boat, a Tanton 39, also aluminum, was designed as a cutter, with the mast back and a large foretriangle, and it sailed very well with a yankee jib and staysail. Tacked easily and pointed higher as a cutter than when sailed as a sloop. For light-air sailing I got a Code Zero type sail to fly on the sprit (I called it the screecher) and this worked very well.

I was very tempted to try this same configuration on the Boreal, but it would involve building two sails with a reasonable chance of the result not working very well. So I decided to change the staysail instead. Not a terribly expensive experiment. I will say also that for my purposes the Boreal sails well enough in light wind with the standard genoa that it doesn’t make sense to supplant it with something a lot more expensive.

On backing staysails to help jibs around when tacking: I had the honor to crew once on Dorade, which has a double-headsail rig with the stays too close to each other to work as a cutter. We were racing around Penobscot Bay. The regular crew before each tack would raise the staysail, just to prevent the jib from blowing into the gap in the foretriangle behind the staysail stay, then lower it again after the tack. With hanked-on sails, of course. It was very impressive!

Of course, I had forgotten that your last boat was a true cutter. Good to have your confirmation. Fun story about Dorade (what a boat) that makes the point.

On our Passoa 47 we have the centre board all the way up and our single dagger board (aft, like your pair) down. VERY easy to steer and stable I think both the Boreal and the Garcia centreboarders roll less than keelboats because the ballast is so high EricHiscock recommended a lot of inside ballast to achieve comfortable motion. To me this is a key advantage of a centreboard design for cruising

I am the guy Charlie mentions with the tall carbon mast. We latterly changed to a roller furling job and are pleased with it Our job clew is about 9 ft above deck, overlaps the mast about 6 ft It tracks fairly easily (we never have to go forward) We normally fly the piston hank staysail too and leave it aback until the jib is across This helps tacking, and is one reason we would not have a self-tacking staysail BTW we fly a big roach main and let it hit the back stay. First main (Hood) lasted 12 years and 35,000 miles with no visible damage

First, a huge thank you for an amazing site. I have been totally immersed since joining a few weeks ago. Really enjoying ALL the discourse here on the Boreal and the Garcia. Very timely, as I have started to look at these very boats. For economic reasons, I am leaning towards an Ovni, but much of what has been written here seems directly transferable/applicable. I would love to hear some direct comparisons between these two boats and the Ovni. Perhaps Colin could chime in with some observations? I have read his entire online book regarding his Ovni 435 (excellent!), but would like to learn more about what is similar /different about these competing designs.

I don’t think you will see a specific comparison article of Ovni to Boreal, but I think that by the time I finish this four part comparison you will have enough information in the two Online Books to make a valid comparison yourself.

The other, and best, option would be to hire Colin to really delve deep into which of the boats will best meet your specific needs and budget: https://www.morganscloud.com/services/consulting/

Thank you, John, for the suggestion of hiring Colin. I have been thinking of doing exactly that.

Really looking forward to installments three thru four on the Boreal and Garcia!

Hi Scott: I studied Ovnis a bit before buying a Boreal. Also talked to Jimmy Cornell at some length about his experience with his Ovni, which he sailed great distances prior to his Garcia 45. The most significant difference, comparing the Ovnis to both Boreals and Garcia, IMHO, is that the centerboard is simply a flat plate, not a shaped foil. My assumption was/is an Ovni will therefore generally not point as well, and Jimmy confirmed this to me. Perhaps Colin could speak to this. I have also heard that if you are a super-sharp sailor you can get an Ovni to point better than it should.

Note too: newer Ovnis have fallen in for the modern trend of sweptback spreaders. Older boats have flat spreaders. I asked about getting a new boat built with flat spreaders and was told it is not possible.

If you are looking for these sort of aluminum centerboard boats used on the brokerage market, you will find the Ovnis are very dominant. If you are patient other sorts do come up. Several different European builders (mostly French) have built boats like this over the years.

Thanks very much for fielding that. Good point on the flat plate board being a defining difference.

Regarding the sad trend at Ovni: they now have an “Ovni 400”, with more-swept-than-ever-before spreaders, ultra-high freeboard, and plenty of other equally frightenning features… I wonder where it will lead them, commercially.

Hi Charles, Thank you much for chiming-in with your observations regarding the Ovni as compared to the Boreal. I was unaware of the flat-plate vs. foil aspect, which helps to explain some of what I have been hearing.

Also, I was disappointed to learn that Ovni has gone with the swept-back spreaders on newer boats. The 395 I am interested in, alas, has the swept-back version. I am guessing that it would not be an easy conversion to parallel given the welded (and presumably reinforced) existing chainplates.

Not sure I can consider myself a super-sharp sailor, but might have to aspire to that, as there does not seem to be many second-hand Boreals in my price range (or many second-hand Boreals period!). I am all ears regarding other designs/manufacturers of similar concept!

Have enjoyed your musings over on Wavetrain also. Again, thank you for your valued input here.

Hi John, I am a little surprised at your comment “Neither of these boats is going to be that fast (to sail hotter angles in VMG mode downwind) particularly when loaded with cruising gear and sailed by a cruising crew”. With a modern A sail I would expect both these modern beamy yachts to be faster sailing on a broad reach ( measured in -ve VMG), even in cruising mode. In fact I would go further and say that both would get a “x” from me if they couldn’t. Perhaps Jean-Francois might comment here? We have a 15 year old Beneteau with a short masthead rig and production swept back spreaders. She will sit on 12->15 knots in trade-wind sailing with the code zero up, in full cruising trim and two up. Not only that, but the moment we start surfing, everything goes light, the helm becomes a two finger exercise and the boat comes almost bolt upright with almost no rolling. Complete flow across the twisted-off main and well-eased code zero (love that sail), down to 160 apparent – main just lightly touching the stays. We have a carbon fibre spinnaker pole, but it is almost redundant and I am thinking of selling it.

Running square feels like flying potato sacks compared with broad reaching with a modern “A” sail. Swept back spreaders becomes a non-issue (IMHO) and even a benefit because they are so easy to tune and achieve nice pre-bend even with a masthead rig. No need for runners – storm jib hoists on a stowable (against the mast) masthead inner-forestay. No genoa – swap between the Code zero and 100% jib. Small baby stay solves any potential mast inversion issues. Great article by the way – really interesting. Thanks. Rob

I think the decision to tack down wind or run depends a lot on wind speed and boat type, as well as the sails available. So yes, when the wind is lighter we too sail hot angles with an asymmetric spinnaker up. But when the wind gets up, we find it easier and just as fast to sail downwind with the pole. The point being that with swept back spreaders that option goes away. Also see Charles’s point about reefing downwind and then there is the issue that with spreaders swept as far as the Garcie even at 120 true wind angle the main will be over trimmed, and worse still the main can’t be dumped in a big gust. So yes, one can manage swept back spreaders, but straight spreaders give us way more options and flexibility for zero downside.

Hi, you say “for zero downside”, and I thought that straight spreaders come with a slightly heavier mast profile. Is this false?

I’m not a mast engineer, but I don’t think that’s the case. I did learn a bit about mast strength tradeoffs when building the new mast for Morgan’s Cloud and weight of mast seems to be more about diameter. For example, if you increase the diameter, you can cut the wall thickness and end up with the same modulus (stiffness), but a lighter mast. . The down side is that windage goes up too. I had some chats with the engineers at Hall Spars at the time, and it’s a huge balancing act. Also number of spreaders plays a big part, the more you have the lighter the mast can be for a given stiffness. And then there’s the whole issue of compression which is hugely complex. (Race boats have halyard locks primarily to reduce it.)

Anyway, the short answer is that for the type of cruising boats we are talking about here, I don’t think there would be a measurable difference.

One other thought, if we use swept back spreaders to get rid of the backstays I think I’m right in saying that would require an increased and heavier section due to the increased compression because of the more acute angle.

Enough, I’m talking 150% of what I know!

Hi again Rob,

Just to clarify, the kinds of boats I was talking about in that quote are ones that sail so fast that the apparent wind never gets aft of the beam. Think racing cats, Volvo 60s and Steve Dashew’s 80 footer. Neither the Garcia or Boreal, or your boat, will do that consistently—a bit of surfing does not count because it’s not consistent, and as soon as the boat slows on the back of a wave, the apparent wind will move aft.

That Beneteau sounds very impressive! If you can get a Beneteau going that well on a broad reach, perhaps you can do the same with a Boreal or Garcia. Either one should surf more readily than a Beneteau with their boards up.

Some clarifications, if you don’t mind:

1. The boat is averaging 12-15 knots? Or are you tapping these speeds while surfing? Can an autopilot steer when this is going on?

2. Are you doing this with a so-called Code Zero or an A-sail? They are different animals.

Hi Charles, A1. Yes, averaging 12->15 knots for hours on end (trade-wind conditions), bearing in mind our hull speed is just under 9 knots. At about 25 knots true, off the wind we light up around 150, then as the apparent shifts forward you can bear away down to 160 or even 165 without the A sail collapsing. Once surfing in this mode she will continue, unless the wind drops or shifts with cloud interference, but that’s why you sail trade-winds right? We do set the auto-pilot on wind vane mode (high sensitivity setting for smallest helm corrections) and she steers beautifully. Problem would be getting the crew off the helm long enough – it is such a blast and on our boat – effortless helming. I have a friend who sailed his B473 from Alaska down to New Zealand via Hawaii and Fiji. He reports a similar experience, but sitting comfortably on 15-18 knots in 40 knots of breeze under rolled jib and a blade of mainsail (his was in-mast furling), with the boat bolt-upright, surfing in complete control with two-finger steering. I wouldn’t be that adventurous without a full, experienced crew on board. But one thing to remember is as your speed increases, once on a broad reach and surfing steadily, the apparent wind doesn’t increase, but actually drops and the strain on the gear reduces somewhat. We have an impressive rooster tail out the back.

A2. Yes, they certainly are very different – as I’m sure you suspected we have a code zero from Doyle, in their light hi-mod Stratis fabric. This sail has been a real game changer for us Charles. Purchased to go offshore – best investment ever. It of course points much higher than our old nylon asymmetric. In fact we use it upwind in less than 12 knots of true breeze, eliminating the need for a genoa, which (IMHO) is a poor sail choice offshore. But here is my point, we can sail much lower too, lower than I would ever have believed possible until WE experienced it. The old asymmetric would collapse around 130 – 140 apparent and all of John’s concerns above would apply. But the code 0 remains incredibly stable at low wind angles and we don’t have it poled out or even use a really long sprit (certainly our bow attachment is significantly shorter than that pictured on the Garcia, hence my initial surprise).

The other brilliant trait with this sail is it furls beautifully 100% of the time (tested in 30 knots our limit so far). Come down to 170 or 180 degrees and the code zero finally inverts, then collapses behind the main and can be rolled away in about 20 seconds, with no one needing to go forward. It furls nicely going upwind too as you would expect. Keep good sheet pressure on and the sail is very tightly rolled for minimum windage. We are adding a small anchor capstan winch outboard of the cockpit, dedicated to controlling the endless furling line and achieving a good tight roll. One point to note is our mainsail is also a Doyle Stratis, full batten main and we have fine sail-shape control of twist downwind to match the slot between main and code 0. Twist is important to keep the flow across the whole sail as you start to surf. My view is achieving a nice open, but even slot plays a big part in the sail stability, and ability to sail low angles. I understand most traditional offshore boats will not enjoy this advantage, but my instinct is both the Garcia and Boreal with modern French lines and broad sterns like ours, would similarly light up with a code zero and be a blast to sail. Question for you Charles is whether you would consider raising the keel half-way or even fully, to promote earlier surfing in perhaps 20 knots? Br. Rob

I would raise the centerboard up all the way and put both daggerboards down. Then you are, literally(!), a surfboard.

I’m still confused about your sails! When I say A-sail I mean an asymmetric spinnaker. I can’t imagine you can carry one to windward.

And there’s always confusion about what people mean when they say “Code Zero.” The term originally applied to a flat-cut sail you could carry to windward that would rate as a spinnaker under racing rules because it had positive area in the luff. A rule-beater. But for beating the rule you wouldn’t build a sail like that. People now use the term “Code Zero” to describe all kinds of sails that are flat cut and furl on their own luffs.

Very cool to be able to do that, you really could be surfing in 20 knots, certainly should be better than on our fixed keeler, although our hull was based on a scaled down Groupe Finot Whitbread 60 design I was told, so she’s slippery off the wind. I referred to A-sails because a friend of mine who was a founder of North Sails NZ uses a nylon based asymmetric (no pole) of his own design and reports similar VMG sailing ability on his B473. I refer to our sail as a “code 0”, simply because this is what Doyle NZ called it when I ordered the sail and that’s what is written on the sail bag. Doyle categorise their code 0 sail as a reaching sail for up to 15 knots. Not sure why Doyles don’t advertise their capability to sail higher (in light winds) and lower wind angles in stronger winds. Probably because they want to sell more sails! To carry our code 0 to windward ( < 12 knots ) the 16 mm Dyneema spinnaker halyard is cranked on as hard as possible by handle on the winch. The hydraulic backstay is then cranked on max. The sheets are lead right aft. We run twin sheets and when sailing two up, we ALWAYS roll-away the sail to tack or gybe, so it’s not really ideal for short tacking. Hope this clarifies things. Rob

Certainly impressive. But to get back to the original point. The main on your boat is still over-trimmed in that configuration due to the swept back spreaders. The point being that to maintain laminar flow over the main it will be all the way out on a straight spreader boat once the apparent wind gets past about 110 to 120. (You can draw this on the preverbal napkin to see what I mean.) But you are experiencing apparent winds in that configuration much further aft than that but a boom far further in. So, even in this configuration your boat would benefit from straight spreaders. It would also make it easier to reef.

Hi John, we are over trimmed on the main downwind, but not as much as you might think (we have woolies over the main), and we roll when running between 160 and 180 and not surfing, so we don’t. And it is certainly exacerbated by the main as you say. Like you, I expect the Garcia will roll similarly downwind, but also I suspect that both the Garcia and the Boreal would have a VMG option which was the point of my comment. I am not advocating for swept spreaders, just “chipping in” with how we work with them. Perpendicular spreaders would indeed give us a nice option for sailing directly down wind offshore, but there is no way to make that change, and for us we already own our “dream yacht” – there won’t be a Bonnie Lass II. When we run directly downwind the laminar airflow stalls, usually on both sails because of turbulence off the main and the sails become glorified handkerchiefs held out in the breeze. In the few times we need to sail downwind on the coast, we will alternate between a broad reach and running by the lee with a poled out headsail or even a poled out code 0, in lighter winds. This way the wind flow remains attached to the sail on both boards (evidenced by the woolies) with the wind running forward to aft when broad reaching, and aft to forward when by the lee. br. Rob

Hi Rob, You ask me to comment. So I’ll try to do so although I cannot answer your question in a few lines. This is especially true considering that some readers will need more elements of answer than you do.

This is only my humble opinion on what I know or have personal experience with. (Please note I have raced in a former live amongst others with – and for Bénéteau – on the First Series 31.7, 40.7 and 47.7 and the Figaro II)

To start with : I’m afraid John is right (except maby on a Boréal in light airs, raising the centerboard – see below ) and IN YOUR OPINION Morgans’ Cloud, Boréal, Garcia, Ovni and some many other boats will get an x … No worries, I’m used not being able to seduce all beautifull girsl I meet…

Some elements:

Generally speaking : – Each boat has her own polar diagram and her optimum downwind VMG. This downwind VMG is depending on the windspeed. With more wind, your optimal VMG moves closer to 180° dead downwind. – If your goal is straight downwind and a boat sails at 12kn downwind at 150° degrees from the wind, the same boats only needs an average speed of 9.4 knots to reach the same goal at the same time… This means that before comparing two different boats you need to look at the optimal VMG of the boat itself. If I look at the Performance Prediction made by Farr Yacht design for the Bénéteau First 47.7 Racing Version : With 30 knots of True wind the performance curve hits the 12Kn of speed at about 155° from the wind. At 180 ° the theoretical boat speed is around 10.5 kn. So in those conditions you are better off to go straight downwind even with a cruiser racer with prebend mast and pushing spreaders… To anticipate all “yes but…” the above is for the sake of the argument

I believe most readers will be more interested in the following : – We build offshore live aboard aluminium boats. Most of our boats are sailed by their owners shorthanded. They want to (be able to) go in a safe, comfortable, reliable way to the most remote place on earth (or not). So, performance is only one (important or non-important) criteria amongst others. Criteria such as “easy to handle” and comfort at sea are at least as important. I believe most of our owners will feel far more comfortable and will feel it less tiring to sail in the trades for days in a row wing to wing… Even our most experienced owners (Hervé on Sir Ernst sailed the Whitebread and won the first Québec-Saint-Malo, Dominique raced 10 times around the world 4 of which single handed, some of other owners which write often here have now sailed many many miles with their Boréal…) lower above 20 kn their symmetrical, assymmetrical or gennakers to sail wing to wing straight downwind…

– Having practised both : on a offshore passage as soon as you have a good breeze, the most comfortable and (in my eyes) most efficient way to sail to a downwind target is to sail wing-to-wing, centreboard (partially) raised, two aft daggerboards down… the boat is on rails…

Most of our owners will hardly ever feel you can steer the boat with two fingers at the helm because their autopilot is… Although I do love steering and I do so every single watch for at least a short while this is the reality of the way we sail for most of the time…

– Granted : In the lighter airs, having an angle allows indeed to create apparent wind. If you then raise (partially) your centerboard, you slide laterally and win a few degrees… With a gennaker or assymetrical spi you indeed then reach a higher VMG.

– Having a prebend mast with pushing spreaders does not necessarily mean your running backstays are useless. I believe the Garcia has them… On the few Boréal we build with a taller mast and pushing spreaders we have rigged them as well…

Please apologize if I don’t always use the correct terms and make errors, English is my 3rd language, and be aware it took me two hours to write this comment.

Jean-François EEMAN Managing Director Boréal

Thanks Jean-Francois, What a great post and well reasoned too – it adds greatly to the value of discussions when an experienced vendor is willing to contribute their thoughts in a clear and logical way, English or French. May I ask though, have you tried VMG sailing a Boreal with the latest hi-modulus code 0 sails – in trade wind conditions? My question is because the old polars for the B473 would agree with your summary of the downwind vectors involved. But add a modern code 0 and these polars are plain wrong for our boat, but they were published by Groupe Finot nearly 18 years ago before an affordable code 0 for a cruising boat. I am a massive fan of centreboard yachts having raced a small centreboard fractional sloop (7.5m) in my younger days which would surf in 18 knots – I never dreamt I could surf our 14.5m 13 tonne keeler. I would love to have a sail on the Boreal, and if I were ever tempted by the Southern Oceans, I would be looking for an adventure cruiser for sure. I really like the concept of the aft dagger boards – and please see my summary to Charles above. Thanks so much for your on-going contribution to this site. Br. Rob

Jean-Francois, I should have added that the “X” comment in my original comment would be in a “VMG downwind” box in MY evaluation criteria. There would be many more “ticks” I am sure in the Boreal boxes, such as the ability to dry out, which is a super-cool benefit. If this implied a general criticism of Boreal or expedition style offshore yachts, I apologise unreservedly. Rob

Great explanation. I think I need to update my article on swept back spreaders and while doing that steal from your comment!

I too have found that on Morgan’s Cloud ( when the wind reaches about 17 knots true it is much less stressful and comfortable to square off wing on wing, rather than sail hot angles and tack downwind. And our polars show this to be more efficient too.

And we stay very comfortable like this even when the wind reaches F7-8. Just reef the main, which we can do easily down wind, partly due to straight spreaders, and roll in part of the jib as the wind increases.

Also I think that the Boreal configured as you say will be even more comfortable than my boat since there is no tendency to “trip” on the keel and all the foils are moved way aft. This is one of the things I like best about all these centreboard boats, Boreal, Garcia, or Ovni. That said I think the Garcia will be least comfortable in this configuration because the over-trimmed mainsail required by the swept back spreaders will make her less stable. The first thing I learned about sail trim as a child was “when in doubt, let it out”.

Really interesting comparison so far — both boats clearly have a lot in common (anchor chain brought to the mast, collision bulkheads etc etc etc) but it’s also surprising to see some of the very big differences too.

From very cursory glances and online looking at both, it seems to me that the Garcia will have the edge on on-board comfort, with the Boreal having the edge on practicality. Kind of like the difference between a new Land Cruiser and an old Land Rover. I’m therefore really looking forward to reading your thoughts on internal layout and any subjective views on finish and quality.

Thanks for writing this up!

Just working on the below decks arrangement chapter. Will be a couple of weeks since we will be publishing hull form and build first, which is all written.

+1 here. I’m on my second pass on these Boreal vs Garcia articles already and my stock of popcorns is almost empty! So much knowledge here!

Thanks for the encouragement. Pop another batch, I just published part III

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Exploration 45

Description

The number one Exploration Sailboat – Garcia Yachts – ‘NOWHERE YOU CAN’T GO’

AN ALUMINIUM CENTREBOARDER DESIGNED FOR ALL LATITUDES

Over the past forty years, Jimmy Cornell has logged hundreds of thousands of nautical miles; the Garcia shipyard has built the most emblematic boats for offshore cruising; and Berret Racoupeau has designed just as many. The coming-together of these three could only give rise to a sailboat with a distinct character, which was to become the Exploration 45.

The first of a line dedicated to sailing all the seas of the world, whether high-latitude or tropical, it is obviously made of aluminium and is a centreboarder. With twin rudders, the control in rough seas and the smoothness of handling are simply exceptional.

All sailing manoeuvres are grouped together in the cockpit, which is particularly well protected by its innovative cap with a view forward. Moving around on deck remains particularly safe, with handrails always within reach and sturdy granny bars. This allows for easy access to the forward sail locker, separated from the rest of the interior by a watertight bulkhead, the ideal complement to the aft technical room.

Inside, the audacity of the layout quickly becomes convincing, with the intelligence of the solutions provided. The deck saloon offers an unexpected panoramic view of the sea: the privilege of comfortably enjoying the exceptional landscapes that surround you. Safety, always keeping a visual eye on your route, while controlling it from the interior watch-keeping position. Available in two or three cabin versions, the interior benefits from remarkable cabinet-making skills. The warmth of Afrormosia, or the brightness of light oak – all you have to do is choose which.

Key elements of the specifications – FROM POLAR EXPLORATION TO THE TROPICS

Sailing Aluminium centreboarder Chain locker centred at the mast foot Twin rudders (JEFA system on self-aligning bearings)

Comfort Deck saloon with panoramic view Watchkeeping position, with good visibility forward Generous storage spaces throughout the boat

Safety Watertight companionway door Forward and aft bulkheads in aluminium Through-hulls above the waterline

Technique All essential sail-handling done from the cockpit Reinforced stem Integrated arch for: instruments, solar panels, wind generator, dinghy

Naval architecture Under autopilot or from one of the two wheels that always offer the ideal position, the twin rudders, protected by skegs, control the generous hull effortlessly and precisely, whatever the wind and sea conditions.

Designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design, the modern hull works wonders in every aspect of long-distance cruising: power, load capacity, crew protection and smooth passage through the sea. The latter is in particular the result of a very careful centring of weight, for instance having the chain locker at the mast foot.

The sail plan is particularly well balanced, and is easily adaptable with the staysail set on its furling system and all the reefing lines returning to the cockpit, then for downwind work with code zero, gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker on the solid platform bowsprit.

The ergonomics of sail handling combine ease and efficiency, the result of experience and specific work on the deck layout. Everywhere, you feel both safe and closely connected to your environment.

Interior design This serenity is even more evident inside. Bringing together all the essential functions in 45 feet was a challenge. The success is that this is immediately forgotten once you’ve gone through the solid watertight door of the companionway.

Only two steps from the outside, you are welcomed into a real cocoon with a view of the sea. Thermal and sound insulation of the hull and windows protect you from the elements. Note that Sébastien Roubinet, an extreme adventurer in high latitudes, supervised the design of the boat’s thermal insulation.

Between the watertight bulkheads, forward, separating you from the sail locker, and aft, which isolates the steering gear, the layout extends in a logical and comfortable fashion. Deck saloon, helm station with panoramic view, large galley, two cabins and as many bathrooms, one with separate shower, a large technical room with workshop (or a third cabin), there is nothing missing. Moving around, resting, preparing, sharing, or simply enjoying the trip is a joy every day.

The Exploration 45 is offered in two layouts Standard & Comfort:

The Standard Version comprises of a forward master cabin, with private bathroom, a double cabin to port in the aft, and a bathroom and technical area to starboard in the aft. Deck saloon with 270° panoramic view, forward facing chart table with inside steering position, and galley with storage in the forward passageway.

The Comfort Version comprises of a forward master cabin, with private bathroom, a double cabin to port in the aft, a large bathroom with separate shower and technical area to starboard in the aft. Deck saloon with 270° panoramic view, forward facing chart table with inside steering position, and galley with storage in the forward passageway. The lower area in the passageway is transformed into a bunk.

Layouts are available in .pdf format in the “Brochure” tab:

Specifications

Features & accommodations, key specification elements:.

Integral aluminium centreboard
Deck salon with 270° visibility and inside steering position
Watertight companionway door
Watertight front bulkhead
Watertight aft bulkhead with watertight hatches to access the stern compartments from the aft cabins
All through-hull fittings made of welded aluminium – All valves positioned above sea level
Double glazed salon windows, one opening above the galley
Coachroof extends beyond the windows and acts as an awning to prevent the greenhouse effect due to the sun
Thermal and acoustic insulation above waterline of automotive-grade polyethylene foam panels (77mm hull, 37mm deck)
Insulated floor (thick foam core)
Chain locker centrally positioned at the foot of the mast – Electric windlass located in locker below deck just ahead of the mast
Centrally located large capacity tanks – Water and fuel tanks can be ballasted port / starboard
Centrally located service battery set
Generous stowage space available throughout the boat
Forefoot chainplate for towing and ice breaking
Integrated aft arch for electronics, wind generator, solar panels and use as davits
2 rudder configuration JEFA self-aligning bearings to ensure optimal control in heavy seas
Large aft platform with easy access to / from the water
Liferaft stowage in locker accessible for launch from aft platform
Essential lines controlled from the cockpit

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Designer: Racoupeau Yacht Design

Hull Length: 45.86′ Waterline: 40.48′ Beam: 14.53′ Draft: 9.19/3.44’ Air draft: 63.65′ Displacement: 31,085 lbs Ballast: 9,480 lbs Engine: Volvo Penta D2-55 55hp diesel Diesel Tank: 87 gallons Water tank: 132 gallons Holding tank: 29 gallons

Nowhere you can't go

Conceived by Garcia Yachts, the Exploration 45 is designed and constructed for serious high latitude and tropical sailing. Featuring a centerboard for shallow draft capability, deck saloon with 270 degree views, insulated aluminum hull with collision bulkheads and watertight companionway, and bulletproof systems with unparalleled access, this is a true world cruising boat unlike any other.

In 2016 Garcia upped the ante on the 45 by taking input from owners and refining their boats based on other models. To be sure, it’s one of the boatbuilder’s hallmarks, and they’ve made some changes to the Exploration 45 that truly make the boat better and more sailor friendly including a hard dodger with better visibility, a galley with more counter space and a technical room with excellent storage.

Garcia Exploration 45

IMAGES

EXPLORATION 45 (GARCIA)
2019 New Garcia Exploration 45 Cruiser Sailboat For Sale
2019 New Garcia Exploration 45 Cruiser Sailboat For Sale
SailboatData.com
GARCIA Exploration 45, Ultimate Blue water Aluminium sailboat?
Garcia Yachts Exploration 45

VIDEO

Hauling Out My Tiny Sail Boat Home For Refit [Almost Went WRONG... 2x] [4K] [Ep 29]
Kit E55: Strip Planking Completed
Garcia Exploration 45
See what fish we caught on our boat #shorts #tuna #fishing #boatfishing
BRO!! 🤣 #shorts #SailForth
Kit E42: Helm Positions and Build Progress

COMMENTS

EXPLORATION 45 (GARCIA)
EXPLORATION 45 (GARCIA) Save to Favorites . Beta Marine. BOTH. US IMPERIAL. METRIC. Sailboat Specifications Definitions Hull Type: Keel/CB w/dual rudders: Rigging Type: Cutter: LOA: 48.82 ft / 14.88 m ... Kelsall Sailing Performance (KSP): Another measure of relative speed potential of a boat. It takes into consideration "reported" sail ...
Exploration 45
Designed with Jimmy Cornell, Exploration 45 is the first among Garcia Exploration range: high-end aluminum centreboarders with pilot saloon. Exploration 45 The Exploration 45 is an aluminium centreboarder capable of taking on any adventure, from polar exploration to tropical sailing. She was voted 'Best Boat' and 'Boat of the Year' in 2015.
PDF Garcia Exploration 45
Garcia Exploration 45 - General description Sept2018 V4.4 Page 6 of 25 Non-contractual document Options Pack including fully-battened mainsail with ball bearing mast slider system, anti-chaffing patch, lazy bag Sunbrela made with "Exploration 45" labelling, adjustable lazy jacks and rigid boom vang Staysail with furling system and running backstays (staysail stay replacing the fixed forestay)
PDF 45
The Garcia Exploration 45 was the very first boat in the range and was designed with the help of renowned yachtsman Jimmy Cornell with the aim of taking on ... Garcia Yachts manages risks "by design": they are identified and their consequences are minimised, from the design of the vessel ...
Exploration 45 garcia
The Exploration 45 garcia is a 46.62ft cutter designed by Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in aluminum by Garcia Yachts since 2014. The Exploration 45 garcia is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized.
Garcia Exploration 45
Verdict. The Garcia Exploration 45 is designed to got to inhospitable cruising grounds, motor for 1000 miles and come out the other side. If that appeals to you, start saving. She might not be stunning to look at, but I think in the middle of a vast unspoilt Arctic landscape, she'd look beautiful.
PDF exploration 45
Concept. : Myths.fr www.garcia-yachting.com [email protected] | Photo :Jimmy Cornell www.garcia-yachting.com Overall length 14.88 m 48.82 Ft Hull length 14.21 m 46.62 Ft Waterline length 12.57 m 41.24 Ft Beam 4.44 m 14.57 Ft Draught (centreboard down) 2.90 m 9.51 Ft Draught (centreboard up) 1.14 m 3.74 Ft
Garcia Yachting Exploration 45
By Cruising World Staff. Updated: September 24, 2014. Designed with input from world-cruiser Jimmy Cornell, the Exploration 45 from Garcia Yachting features an insulated aluminum hull, and watertight bulkheads and hatches for off-the-milk-run cruising. A comfortable deck saloon offers panoramic views at anchor. garcia-yachting.com.
Garcia Exploration 45: Review and test
To windward, the 45 settled into an easy, restful gait. Speed varied between 6 and 7 knots at around 34° to the apparent wind. The helm felt positive without being heavy and with the solid aluminium NACA section centreplate fully lowered (drawing 2.9m), there was little leeway. The ballast of 4,540kg and the central weight of tanks, engine etc ...
Garcia Exploration 45
Garcia Exploration 45. Garcia Yachting is developing a new exploration yacht in close collaboration with Jimmy Cornell for his next round the world voyage, this time through the Northwest Passage EXPLORATION & BLUE WATER CRUISING A YACHT DESIGNED TO BE SAILED AND LIVED ABOARD BOTH IN HIGH LATITUDES AND TROPICAL WATERS «I wanted a strong, fast ...
Garcia Exploration 45
For Sale. The sailboat show in Annapolis runs Oct 10—14, 2019, and features over 130 sailboats, including the premiere of 30 models over 30 feet. Garcia Exploration 45 is a 46′ 7″ / 14.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau and built by Garcia Yachts starting in 2014.
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1
The early-build Boréal 44 that Phyllis and I inspected and sailed on. To make this as relevant as possible I have compared the Garcia to the Boréal 44/47—the only difference between the two Boréals is the addition of a sugar scoop stern on the 47—since that boat is the obvious competitor and, more importantly, the Boréals have a 10-year track record of successful cruises to some of the ...
Garcia Exploration 45 boat review
Finding a new boat to sail the Northwest Passage might not appeal to most people, but most people aren't Jimmy Cornell. Graham Snook went to test the boat Ji...
Exploration 45
The number one Exploration Sailboat - Garcia Yachts - 'NOWHERE YOU CAN'T GO' ... which was to become the Exploration 45. The first of a line dedicated to sailing all the seas of the world, whether high-latitude or tropical, it is obviously made of aluminium and is a centreboarder. With twin rudders, the control in rough seas and the ...
Garcia Exploration 45
Conceived by Garcia Yachts, the Exploration 45 is designed and constructed for serious high latitude and tropical sailing.Featuring a centerboard for shallow draft capability, deck saloon with 270 degree views, insulated aluminum hull with collision bulkheads and watertight companionway, and bulletproof systems with unparalleled access, this is a true world cruising boat unlike any other.
GARCIA Exploration 45, Ultimate Blue water Aluminium sailboat?
The Garcia Exploration 45 is one of if not the top blue water Aluminum sailboats out there. Is this the ultimate aluminium sailboat for the price range? Garc...
Garcia Exploration 45 boats for sale
Find Garcia Exploration 45 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Garcia boats to choose from. ... New Garcia Yachts Exploration 45 4 listings . Contact Us Help About Us Advertise With Us Media Kit Membership Cookies Do Not Sell My Personal Information. YachtWorld, 1221 Brickell Avenue ...
Garcia Yachts shipyard: aluminium blue water cruising sailing boats
Garcia Yachts is a French shipyard building high-end blue water cruising aluminum sailing boats, monohulls or catamaran, from 45 to 60 feet.
2025 Garcia Exploration 45 Cruiser for sale
The Exploration 45 is an aluminium centreboarder capable of taking on any adventure, from polar exploration to tropical sailing. She was voted 'Best Boat' and 'Boat of the Year' in 2015.. Over the past forty years, Jimmy Cornell has logged hundreds of thousands of nautical miles; the Garcia shipyard has built the most emblematic boats for offshore cruising; and Berret Racoupeau has ...
Yachts
Yachts The story of Garcia Yachts' Exploration sailboats is at the combination of three stories. That of the Garcia brothers, founders of the shipyard; that of Jimmy Cornell, experienced navigator and "father of blue water cruising"; and that of the Grand Large Yachting Group and Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design, who have
2026 Garcia Exploration 45 Pilothouse for sale
Description. 2026 Garcia Exploration 45. Over the past forty years, Jimmy Cornell has logged hundreds of thousands of nautical miles; the Garcia shipyard has built the most emblematic boats for offshore cruising; and Berret Racoupeau has designed just as many. The coming-together of these three could only give rise to a sailboat with a distinct ...
Garcia 45 boats for sale
Garcia Yachts 45 By Condition. New Garcia Yachts 45 4 listings. Find Garcia 45 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Garcia boats to choose from.

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Garcia Yachting Exploration 45

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Garcia Exploration 45: Review and test

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Garcia Exploration 45 4 Pages

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Garcia Exploration 45

Rig and Sails

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

Displacement / Length Ratio

Comfort Ratio

Capsize Screening Formula

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United States Sailboat Show 2019

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Exploration 45

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The Exploration 45 is offered in two layouts Standard & Comfort:

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Garcia Exploration 45

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